Alwen Derbyshire has been working at Yr Ysgwrn as seasonal staff since Spring 2018 and is in her element there telling stories about Hedd Wyn, bringing his character to life.
Here, we get to know her a little better.
What attracted you to work at Yr Ysgwrn?
I was a Welsh teacher at Ysgol David Hughes for years and after finishing there, I wanted to continue working and decided to go for a completely different job.
I’ve always been interested in Hedd Wyn ‐ and as I’m originally from Dyffryn Ardudwy, I’ve been brought up with the story. You’d be surprised how many people come here saying they are related to Hedd Wyn and that’s probably how I started to become aware of him when I heard, as a little girl that my grandmother’s first husband was apparently related to him.
Gerald used to say that Hedd Wyn’s family were like ‘onion ropes’, with clusters of them everywhere!
What is your favourite part of the guided tour of the farmhouse?
What I probably enjoy most is talking about Hedd Wyn, the person, not just the poet. I like to tell stories about him with his friends and girlfriends, how he was a bit of a joker and of course, he had many flaws, like us all! Those who knew him would say he was a bit of a dreamer and quite lazy – he was definitely not an early bird!
It is also interesting, since working here, how much I learn from people who visit. I remember someone coming here some years ago and saying that his grandmother used to be a young maid at Yr Ysgwrn. She remembered Hedd Wyn well, and remembered how he would sometimes ask her to leave her bedroom window open so that she could climb into the house late at night when the front door was locked.
I like to share the stories that bring his character to life.
What surprises people most about Hedd Wyn?
One surprising fact is his height ‐ he wasn’t very tall ‐ just over five feet. There’s a good story about him at Eisteddfod Llanuwchllyn in 1915 when he won the chair. He got up, ready to go on stage and a woman sitting behind him grabbed his coat and gently told him to ‘Sit down so I can see who’s won the chair’—probably not believing that such a modest-looking man could have won!
When you see a picture of the family, he looks tall, dark, and handsome—but he was probably just dark and handsome!
What are you most looking forward to with the Ysgwrn re‐opening for the 2022 season?
I’m looking forward to the opportunity to tell the story again—it’s such a timeless story. It crosses borders and people from all over the world visit us.
I like to adapt what I say according to the audience. There are some who know nothing and others who are interested in a particular aspect. And with kids, I change what I say to suit them. I like the challenge of trying to find something that is common to a lot of people. Something they are interested in. It’s nice to have a wide range of people coming here.
What is important to us is to make the experience worthwhile ‐ and every aspect here contributes to getting to know Hedd Wyn. The views, the ffridd, the farmhouse, the stories, and the area in general.
He was certainly a home bird if there ever was one.